Wayne County seeking funds for GATEWAY project

The public will have a chance to comment Tuesday morning on Wayne County's plans to seek $255,488 in state transportation funding for the GATEWAY transportation system.

The county Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposal at 9:15 a.m. in their meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex. Commission-ers will be briefed on the agenda at 8 a.m., and their meeting will start at 9 a.m.

People planning to attend the meeting are reminded that the first-degree murder trial of Cesar Laurean is under way at the courthouse. Courthouse security has been tightened because of the trial and there is more demand for the limited parking near the courthouse.

The county plans to apply for the Rural Operating Assistance Program grant through the state Depart-ment of Transportation.

The grant has three components:

* The Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program provides operating assistance for the transportation of elderly and disabled citizens.

* The Employment Transportation Assistance Program is intended to provide operating assistance for the transportation of people with employment-related transportation needs.

* The Rural General Public Program is intended to provide operating assistance for the transportation of people who live in non-urbanized areas and who do not have human service agency assistance, such as the Department of Social Services, to pay for their transportation needs.

In other business, commissioners will consider three subdivision plats and a mobile home park, all of which have been recommended for approval by the county Planning Board.

The Planning Board did recommend against a variance requested by the developers of Southside Mobile Home Park-Section 2 on Potts Road.

Gerald Bell, doing business as B&D Management, has requested a variance on the county fire hydrant requirements. The mobile home park ordinance requires that each lot be within 500 feet of a hydrant. One of the four lots meets that requirement. The other three do not. Bell had asked to be excused from installing an additional hydrant. The park is located on the north side of Potts Road at its intersection with Timothy Street.

The three other plats are:

* Tammy Anne and Danny Ray Strickland final plat, one lot on Peele Road, approximately 1,900 feet south of Mark Edwards Road.

* Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Hawley final plat, two lots on the south side of Buck Swamp Road about 1,600 feet east of Planter's Place.

* Roger and Nancy Cooke, division of lot 3 in Ross Acres final plat, two lots on Crow's Foot Road approximately 570 feet east of Old Grantham Road.

In another planning issue, commissioners will meet as the county Board of Adjustment following their regular meeting to consider a setback variance request.

Dallas and Lydia Price have petitioned the county for the variance for their property in the Canterbury Village subdivision. The Prices want to add an outbuilding on the property. The setback ordinance requires 25 feet. However, the Prices are asking that the distance be reduced to 20 feet.

In their consent agenda, commissioners will be asked to meet as the Board of Adjustment on Sept. 7 and to hold a public hearing on a setback request by Mikki Butts to allow an addition to a home at Planter's Place. The request is to reduce the setback from 25 to 20.7 feet.

Commissioners are scheduled to hear an appeal from Deets T. McCullen concerning the tax valuation of property at 307 Quail Drive.